The subject invention relates to a piercing and riveting tool, a rivet assembly that includes a rivet body and a mandrel that is used with the tool, and a method of securing a rivet body of the rivet assembly to one or more workpieces with the tool. In a single operation, the tool clamps one or more workpieces in place; pierces the clamped workpiece(s) with a piercing surface of the mandrel head, prevents the premature deformation of the rivet body with the mandrel head, deforms an end of the rivet body after the end of rivet body has passed through the workpiece(s) along with the mandrel head to set the rivet, and unclamps the workpiece(s) to which the rivet body is secured while separating the mandrel head from its shank.
Rivets are used for many applications including but not limited to securing a rivet body to a workpiece for various uses and securing two or more workpieces together with a rivet body. One common use for rivets is as a fastener for securing together the wall angle, runner and cross-tee hardware components of a suspended ceiling grid system. Once assembled the suspended ceiling grid system supports ceiling panels that rest on flanges of the angle, runner and cross-tee hardware components.
A method currently used in the assembly of such grid systems includes the following steps in connection with the installation of each of the rivets that secure the hardware components together. First flanges of two hardware components are overlapped. Then a punch tool is used to punch aligned holes through the flanges of the two hardware components to receive a rivet assembly to secure the flanges together. Next a rivet body of a rivet assembly that is loaded into a riveting tool is passed through the holes in the flanges and an end of the rivet body is deformed and set with the riveting tool to secure the two hardware components together.
This method of assembling suspended ceiling grid systems creates several problems for the installer. First, the installer must use two tools, a punch tool and a riveting tool. Secondly, the installer must maintain the holes formed by the punch tool in the flanges of the hardware components for receiving the rivet assembly in alignment while switching from the punch tool to the riveting tool or realign the holes once the installer has put the punch tool down and picked up the riveting tool. Thirdly, the installer must align the rivet assembly in the riveting tool with the holes in the flanges of the hardware components, insert the rivet assembly through the aligned holes, and deform and set the rivet body. The use of two tools, the time required to switch tools, the need to maintain holes formed in hardware component flanges in alignment or to realign the holes if they get out of alignment while switching tools, the need to align and insert a rivet assembly loaded into the riveting tool with the holes in the hardware component flanges prior to deforming and setting the rivet body, and the need to carry out these functions while the installer is working over his/her head, are time consuming and tiresome. Accordingly, there has been a need for a simpler, quicker and less tiring method of securing the hardware components of a suspended ceiling grid system together with rivets and a need for the piercing and riveting tool and rivet assembly that make such a method possible and practical and that also can be used for other riveting applications.
The subject invention provides a simpler, quicker and less tiring method of securing the hardware components of a suspended ceiling grid system together with rivets and provides a piercing and riveting tool and rivet assembly that make such a method possible and practical and that can be used for other riveting applications. The piercing and riveting tool of the subject invention is utilized with the rivet assembly of the subject invention to secure a rivet body to one or more workpieces in a single operation. The rivet assembly of the subject invention includes a rivet body and a mandrel. The mandrel of the rivet assembly includes a mandrel head and an elongated mandrel shank that is separable from the mandrel head after the rivet is set. The mandrel head has a pointed piercing surface for piercing one or more workpieces and a deforming surface that is in contact with one end of the rivet body to deform and set that end of the rivet body to secure the rivet body to the workpiece(s). In the sequential piercing and riveting operation of the subject invention, the piercing and riveting tool clamps one or more workpieces in place; pierces the clamped workpiece(s) with a piercing surface of the mandrel head, prevents the premature deformation of the rivet body with the mandrel head, deforms an end of the rivet body with the mandrel head to set the rivet after the end of the rivet body has passed through the workpiece(s), and unclamps the workpiece(s) to which the rivet body is secured while separating the mandrel head from its shank.